INSPIRATION

Every garden is a constantly changing organism.

Some times it just takes on a life of its own

Other times the human in charge

Has a moment of inspiration

And makes intentional “improvements”.

Last spring while visiting the Dallas Botanical Garden

John and I had one of those

“Inspired moments”.

But let’s back up a bit.

When we bought this house

Every conceivable area

Was lined with monkey grass.

Now you need to know that I

Well….OK…I hate monkey grass.

It is aggressive – moving not inches

But feet into a flower bed.

And no matter what you edge the bed with

Bermuda will grow up and over

and into the monkey grass.

Then there’s the nut grass

That initially looks like monkey grass

Until it shoots up over night

And is a foot taller.

I know people love this stuff

But I have been on a decade long campaign

To murder as much as possible.

The edge of our front landing

Has been lined with monkey grass

Which was invaded with Bermuda grass

And then variegated Vinca major.

Quite simply it’s a mess.

Then came the inspiration.

The boxwood backed beds

With glorious tulips in the front

Underplanted with violas.

Aha…we could do that on the landing.

It’s taken a few months

To locate enough of the right sized (small) boxwood.

Negotiate the location of the boxwood with John.

And find brave souls to dig out the perpetrator.

Thank you Alex and David.

This week John planted the baby boxwood.

And gave them their first haircut.

Now for my fun.

I’ve ordered lots

Actually probably too many

Of a new variety of tulips.

Something called “French Blend”

From a new company “Colorblends”

Who’s catalog just appeared in my mailbox.

It’s described as “an all-color blend of long-stemmed tulips

Bright as lantern globes.”

Garden porn if ever I’ve heard it.

The Colorblends catalogue is interesting in itself

In that it does the mixing for you.

Offering dozens of tested combinations

of glorious tulips.

Tempting very tempting.

Now, I’m also repeating last years

Glorious tulip mixture

On the path to the garden house.

A mixture of Darwin Hybrid tulips

Golden Apeldoorn

Ivory Floradale

Jaap Groot

Ollioules

Salmon Impression

Silver Stream

World Peace

And the best tulip ever

Pink Impression

Will be mixed and thickly planted

Along the brick path.

All from my long standing supplier K Van Bourgandien.

I think I may have lost it!

I’ve doubled my tulip order

The very year

That Megan, my bulb planting friend

Married and moved to Florida.

Surely someone will take pity on me

And come some glorious fall afternoon

To dig trenches

And plant

This inspiration.

Gail